Implications for practice and research

■ Cognitive development is enhanced with any breastfeeding, but more significantly with at least 4 months of breastfeeding.

■ Preterm infants may especially benefit from breastfeeding.

■ Studies using multi-ethnic participants should be conducted to see if the increase in cognitive ability shown in this study
holds true among other ethnic groups.

Context

The health benefits of breastfeeding for infants have been well documented. International1 and country-specific2 professional organisations recommend exclusive breastfeeding for the first 6 months of life and breastfeeding with complementary
foods for at least 1 year. Quigley et al sought to measure the …